Holder for steel wool



Aug. 4, 1953 P. F. scHENoT HOLDER FOR STEEL WOOL Filed `me 20, 195o O:inventor Paul I.' L.Y/Lanai Patented Aug. 4, 1953 HOLDER FortsTEEL'WooL- Y fram n. scherm, castle Shannara.. Applic'atin June zo,iss'g'sial N6; 169,263

This invention is for a cleaning tool especially designed for use incleaning'deposits from the coils of gas-red water heaters and for otheruses where a deposit is firmly' lodged on a surface, especially whereaccess to the surface to be cleaned is difficult.

My invention has for its object to provide a novel, convenient,inexpensive tool for cleaning surfaces of the type referred to.

Gas-fired water heaters, for example, are provided with coils positionedabove a burner. 'Ihese coils frequently become heavily sooted, and thesoot is encrusted so that it adheres very firmly to the metal. Itsubstantially reduces the rate of heat transfer from the hot gasesthrough the coils.

I sometimes refer to my invention as a steel wool file, and in generalit comprises a at supporting body having a handle at one end, and

about lthis body is wrapped a cord-like mass of steel wool. Notches arecut into the edges of the body throughout the greater portion of itslength. The cord or rope-like mass of steel Wool is wrapped about thisbody and retained ,in the notches in such manner as to provide aneffective cleaning and scouring surface. This implement may be pressedagainst the surfaces to be cleaned and rubbed thereover, and will veryeffectively serve to remove the deposits thereon. Because of itsrelatively flat, narrow form, it can be worked in small spaces andcrevices. After a period of use, the steel wool which may have thendeteriorated, may be unwound and removed, and a new rope or cord ofsteel wool substituted.

While I have referred to the invention as being particularly applicablefor use in cleaning the coils of water heaters where it can be insertedbetween and manuevered around the convolutions of the coils, it is alsoadaptable for a wide variety of other uses.

My invention may be more fully understood by reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the tool;

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the steel wool wrapped around the body;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the body of the tool without the steel wool;and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the tool from the face opposite Fig. 1.

Referring first to Fig. 3, there is shown a body preferably formed fromat 'stock of a light metal, usually aluminum. One portion of the body isa shank 2 and the other portion a handle 3. The shank has notches 4cutiin from the two edges, and the handle has an elongated openingther'f'ein, this openingbeing shaped to form anacute vertex orwedge'slot 5a near the shank. 'Ihe end 'ofthe shank has an extenison 4aand shoulder 4b.

VAs shown in. Figs. 1, V2 and 4, a mas-s of steel woolin' the form of acord B is wrappedaround the shank and secured in the vertex portion 5aof the elongated hole. The cord of steel wool is first extendedlongitudinally down the center of one surface of the shank, which I willterm the front, providing a straight strand 1. At the end remote fromthe handle it is wrapped one full turn about extension 4a at the end ofthe shank, this being done by passing the strand from the front face toback over shoulder 4b, then completely around the end 4a. After onecomplete wrap the cord is taken diagonally across the back surface ofthe body to the first notchl, carried around one turn so as to cross thestrand 1, and be received in a notch 4 on the opposite edge of the body.After making approximately a full turn, the `cord is passed diagonallyalong the back of the body to the next notch on one edge, and thenaround to the opposite edge, and

in like manner it is engaged in each pair of notches. When it has beenengagedv in the notches nearest the handle. the cord is passed throughthe opening in the handle, pulled up into the Wedge slot 5a which holdsit from loosening, after which any excess may be trimmed off. Thus thefinished le or tool has a longitudinal strand '1, and a plurality oftransverse strands 8, on one face, and a series of correspondingly'pitched diagonal strands 9 on the other surface.

The tool as thus constructed isl Icheap to manufacture, and it providesa file-like implement which can be very effectively used for thepurposes and in the manner hereinbefore described. While I have shown anelongated hole in the handle for securing the steel wool, any type ofhole or notch may be provided. In addition, various thicknesses of steelWool cord may be used, and the wool may be wound in other manners,depending on the circumstances, and other cords than steel wool may beused. The mounting of the steel wool cord as illustrated in the drawingsis very advantageous because the design of the steel wool surfaces areradically different on opposite sides of the shank. When cleaningbetween the individual coils of a heating coil, the side shown in Fig. 4is most effective, and, therefore, it is desirable to run the brushbetween the` coils twiceonce with the side of Fig. 4 up and once withthe side of Fig.

3 4 down. For cleaning the inside of a coil, the surface shown in Fig. 1is most effective. An inspection of Figs. 1 and 4 shows that the dierentarrangements of the steel Wool cord present surfaces that are adaptedfor projecting into different sizes of crevices and corners. The cordarrangement of Fig. 4 is very effective for cleaning a flat surface.

The opposite sides of the file behave differently, the frontr having thelongitudinal and transverse strands, While the back has diagonalstrands. This is of convenience in certain oper-A ations.

I have specifically shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, but it will be understood that changes and modicatons may bemade within the scope and spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A steel wool file of the class described, comprsing a iiat stiffshank having transversely aligned notches in the side edges thereof, ahandle at one end having an elongated hole cut therein dening an acutevvertex near the shank, a replaceable cord of steel Wool extending downone surface of the shank and then Wound through the notches back aroundthe shank over'the longitudinally extending portion of the steel wool,and

said cord being secured to the shank by forcing the free end of the cordin the vertex of the hole in said handle portion.

2. A cleaning implement comprising a flat, rigid body having a spacedseries of notches along each side thereof, said body having a handle atone end, and a cord of steel wool cleaning element laid along one face0f the body to provide a longitudinal strand and then wrapped about thebody with one Wrap in each pair of notches to provide on one face spacedtransverse strands crossing the longitudinal strand and on the other"face of the body spaced diagonal strands.

PAUL F. SCHENOT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 889,890 Bass June 9, 1908 20 1,291,131 Radel Jan. 14, 19191,849,497 Mazer Mar. 15, 1932 1,897,981 Johnson Feb. 14, 1933 i FOREIGNPATENTS 25 Number Country Date 4,662 Germany Apr. 17, 1879 Norway June19, 1906

